Review of In the Mood For Love (Special Edition)

Introduction

In the Mood for Love is acclaimed director Wong Kar-Wai’s most recent film, and was an international success in arthouses worldwide and amongst the prizewinners in Cannes. Building on the love story elements familiar in his earlier films Chungking Express and Happy Together, this film is a break from Wong Kar-Wai`s usual hyper-kinetic style and opts for a slower, more erotic pace.

Regular Wong Kar Wai collaborators and Hong Kong heavyweights Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung star as two married neighbours who, upon finding their respective spouses are having an affair with each other, embark on a romance beset by the social stigma of adultery during 1960’s repressed Hong Kong.

Here I am reviewing French company TFI Video`s Limited Edition - also called their ‘Prestige Edition’ - but the new UK SE has the same specs. In the Mood for Love is presented in a 2-disc set, with a beautiful gatefold packaging to rival those fabulous R1 New Line releases such as Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

Video

With a whole disc dedicated just to the film, you would expect the transfer to be of very high quality – and it is indeed stunning. The picture is sharp and, from what I could see, pretty much flawless - even when faced with atmospheric effects such as cigarette smoke. The colour reproduction does justice to the fabulous art decoration (likely winner of this year’s Oscar in this category), whilst the black levels are spot on.

Audio

Although this film may not be one you would use to show off your sound system, the 5.1 Cantonese track reeks of professionalism and is very impressive. Spatial effects such as footsteps and rain place you right in the film, and Wong Kar-Wai’s excellently chosen music sounds fantastic.

Features

Practically all of the extra features are contained on the second of the two discs - and I can tell you that this set here is one of the best around! Firstly, let me allay your fears and say that all the extras here can be selected in English – a great touch by TFI video. Upon startup, you are presented with a couple of menu screens allowing you to choose menu and subtitle language, so our British readers and pretty much anyone else in Europe can enjoy all of the extras on offer. When you have gone through these, you get to the beautifully crafted menus – these make use of both extracts from the film and the soundtrack also, and preserves In the Mood for Love’s delicately slow pacing.

Wong Kar-Wai Interview - An excellent 22-minute interview that covers the making of the film, themes, and production anecdotes. Wong Kar-Wai speaks excellent English, and so is easily understandable.
On Set Report – An 18-minute look behind the scenes. This B-roll footage is one of the best of its kind, as it is very professionally made. The scenes are interesting, and the score is played over the top as well. It just goes to show that anything can be a worthwhile extra if some effort is put in.
Music from the film – Track listings and articles of the director and composer on the music.
Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending – A great selection of scenes are included here; any fan of the film will NEED to see these. Three lengthy scenes (8mins, 11mins and 9mins respectively) and another ending (8mins) constitute almost an additional chapter to the story of the two characters. I think the cut material is good enough that some parts should have been left in – and the picture quality is good on all of them. On the first three scenes a slightly sparse commentary is provided also, by the director.
Biographies and Credits – Says it all really, but again, very well made. Good reading for anyone not familiar with the Hong Kong superstars of this film.
Multimedia Section – For your DVD drive’s pleasure, you can find wallpapers, screensavers etc.
Trailers, Teasers and Promo Reels – Presented thematically as a literal ‘menu’ in the restaurant section.
Posters and Concepts – Includes all of the International artwork used.
Awards – An impressive list of the gongs the film has won.
Set Design – Includes a clip on the costumes, hairstyling and food in the film. Also a selection of ‘postcard’ stills.
Mah-jong Club – Will let you access a Easter Egg! The bous here is getting to a secret menu, containing some superb extras. Unless you have a good knowledge of how to play Mah-jong (a Chinese game), don’t waste your time trying to crack this one as it is very complex! However, it is quite easy to find someone who does know how to get to it...

Conclusion

In the Mood for Love is a slow-burner in every sense, so if you are not a big fan of arthouse films then think twice, as this is arthouse encapsulated. However, if you have some patience you will find this film a beautifully made piece of cinema – evocative of "A Brief Encounter" - and one of the best films of last year.

Here, wunderkind Wong Kar-Wai shows that he has progressed to a level of maturity that he, given the nature of his earlier, slightly self-indulgent films, might have been thought to lack. Although he still shoots without a script (which explains his trademark leaps in storyline) this film is executed perfectly. The two leads Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung bring authority to their roles - essential in a purely character-based film like this - and have electrifying chemistry together.

This DVD set is also absolutely superb in every way – from the packaging and the picture quality, to the huge selection of extras and the menus. The only thing missing is a commentary, but there are so many interviews and featurettes that pretty much every aspect of the film is covered anyway. I prefer the French version as it has better packaging, but it is likely to be more expensive than the similar UK release.